


KRYK Complete Romance Mechanics Guide!! *FULL Cut Scene Details!*

by tiggeryumyum



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Gaming, M/M, The Sims AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-28
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-07-23 23:44:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20016754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiggeryumyum/pseuds/tiggeryumyum
Summary: Kenma's never been interested in the romance mechanics ofInterstellar Infinitebefore, but it might be his only option if he wants to keep playing as Captain Kuro.





	1. Chapter One

_CPT. KURO'S FLEET FALLS BACK!_

Kenma drops his headphones, and rolls back from the desk, annoyed. 

On his computer screen, a cut scene loads: deep space. An explosion. It's large and hot and moving fast, swallowing an intergalactic fleet of ships the size of ocean-liners. Their massive size makes them slow, and only a handful manage an escape, diving down, pulling back, retreating in a panic. 

Fade to black.

It's the fourth time Kenma's attempted this battle, and the fourth time Captain Kuro's been forced to call retreat. 

This particular animation is getting old, and in the bottom corner of his computer screen, Kuro's avatar is equally frustrated, mouth open in a grimace/shout, dialogue scrolling in the text-field beneath that.

**Cpt. Kuro:**  
_Ugh.. .. .. next time, I won't be caught so off guard.. .. ..!_

Kenma's been playing _Interstellar Infinite_ two years now. He picked Ensign Kuroo as his main because of his high intelligence and ambition traits, and has continued to use this same character, in this same account, his entire _IntInf_ career. Kuro's a captain now, with his own fleet, commanding the best ships with the best weaponry available, and through their countless conflicts together, Kuro's AI has become reliable. He's learned Kenma's decision making habits in battle, and when the game reaches the stage where the player is no longer allowed to direct the action, Kuro can be counted on to make sharp, clever judgment calls, sometimes finding paths to victory Kenma never would've considered. 

Kenma is deeply fond of this character, more attached than he ever becomes, typically. At this point, losses are a little personal.

Kenma closes his eyes and braces himself before looking back at the screen.

 **CPT KURO'S FLEET INVENTORY**  
RAKE CLASS CARRIERS.. .. .. **001** **(-004)**  
ASSAULT SHIPS.. .. .. .. .. **010** **(-043)**  
MISSILE CRUISER.. .. .. .. . **014** **(-040)**  
WALT CLASS GUIDED CRUISER.. **098** **(-144)**  
DARTS.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. **142** **(-401)**

Which implies a loss of well over 500 soldiers, Kenma is reminded, when Kuro's mood flips from Defeated to Mourning. His avatar grows solemn, serious.

_Cpt Kuro will be grieving the many deaths in his fleet another 5 days._

Kenma sighs out, slowly.

He could revert back to the last save… but that was mid-battle. At that point, Kuro was already well on his way to losing half his fleet. 

Is there any winning this? Rationally, the answer is an obvious no. Kuro is never going to beat his opponent with the remaining ships left at the last save point. Kenma should cut his losses here, direct Kuro back to his support in the inner orbit, and start rebuilding. Anything else will only be delaying the inevitable, and he knows it, but he also hates it, so before he can do the rational thing, he rolls back to the last save and closes the game. 

**applepi** :  
the battle at red border  
you beat it playing as bokuto?

 **shin_gen_ (Akaashi)** :  
Yes  
A long time ago  
are you starting a new game?

 **applepi** :  
no  
i'm finishing the optional battles  
i thought red border was low difficulty 

**shin_gen_ (Akaashi)** :  
It is, if you do it early.

_[…] Commander Yaku's fleet grows throughout the game, increasing the difficulty of winning the Red Border in the later stages. [...]_  
https://interstellarinfinite.database.com/bat/RedBorderBattle#Strategy

Already able to tell his mistake is, somehow, even worse than he assumed, Kenma's mouse moves very, very slowly toward the link.

He never thought Commander Yaku was going to go easy on Kuro. The two are natural adversaries in the game, on opposing sides of the human conflict: Inner v. Outer orbit. Kuro is from the inner orbit, and Commander Yaku guards the outer orbit border. It's never been an overtly hostile relationship, though, and Yaku is regarded as a fair and kind character. That, combined with the fact that this is one of the first battles players are invited to play in the game, had Kenma assuming this would be simple. Fast. An afternoon at most. 

Already burning with embarrassment for this, Kenma clicks.

The **Red Border Battle** is one of thirteen optional battles available to inner orbit characters. 

The Red Border is held by Commander Yaku. When crossing, inner orbit ships are required to pay tolls and taxes on any goods or resources obtained in the outer orbit. 

After enough trips across the border, players unlock options to **negotiate** lower taxes, form an **alliance** , or refuse to comply with Yaku's toll. 

Refusing to comply initiates the **Red Border Battle**. 

Commander Yaku's primary battle traits are **Perfectionist** and **Observation**. These traits are weak against spontaneity and chaotic traits ( **Luck** , **Roll the Dice** , **Berserker** , **Silver Spoon** , etc). Primarily strategic characters, such as Oikawa and Tsukishima, would do best to engage in the Red Border Battle as soon as they're given the option. Along with establishing trade routes early on, Commander Yaku's fleet grows throughout the game, increasing the difficulty of winning the Red Border in the later stages. 

**Note:** Once a battle begins, the decision is locked. If the player loses, Commander Yaku will no longer entertain negotiations or alliances, and the tolls to cross his border will increase substantially. 

Kenma stares, blankly. This is such phenomenally bad news he can't begin to parse it yet.

He closes the wiki, and his computer, and turns his chair around, to face his second gaming set up.

~

 **applepi** :  
1v1?

 **SHOgunSHOyo (Hinata)** :  
yeah!!!  
hold on!!!!!

After the slow, dark, careful pace of _Interstellar Infinite_ battles, the bright colors and hectic mayhem of Shoyo's game choice is jarring. Kenma jerks, jolted awake when it loads with a loud blast of cartoon-esque music and color. 

It's refreshing, too, the free-form simplicity of the levels. The weapon his character holds is massive, and spews thick, endless streams of paint. The controls of this very, very mindless game are responsive in a tremendously satisfying way, character and weapon practically jumping with each press of Kenma's controller. Just running around the city literally painting the streets red would be fun on its own, but he's playing against Shoyo, too. 

It is impossible to be preoccupied with anything else when playing against Shoyo. It's early afternoon when Kenma sends the message and they begin, and the next time Kenma looks, it's dark, nearly eight at night. 

_Woooo-hoooo!_ Shoyo's character yells on screen, launching through the air, a trail of paint dripping behind him as he flies. He's still too far away from Kenma to see the details of his animation, but he already knows this attack. 

Kenma sticks out his tongue in focus, taking aim, and pulling the trigger as soon as Shoyo gets in range. He's true to his target, and Shoyo's bomb explodes before it can leave his hand, coating him in paint.

His character drops with a _SPLAT_ , and they tie.

 **SHOgunSHOyo (Hinata)** :  
aauuuughh  
WE KEEP TYING  
ok  
i'm winning next round no matter what!!! 

**applepi**  
you said that last round.

 **SHOgunSHOyo (Hinata)** :  
>_<  
hey  
kenma  
let's play teams this time??  
then we'll both win ╭( ･ㅂ･)و

Kenma rereads the message twice, inspiration striking so fast it takes him a moment to process it.

 **applepi**  
sorry, i'm done after this  
i'm in the middle of a IntInf battle. 

**SHOgunSHOyo (Hinata)** :  
blagggghhhhh  
INTINF's hard!!!!  
whenever i play my characters always get kicked out of the military before they even get a ship to pilot  
( ˘･з･)

 **applepi** :  
that is easy to believe.

 **SHOgunSHOyo (Hinata)**  
HEY  
but ok  
next time we play, we do teams alright!!!

 **applepi** :  
alright

~

_If the player loses, Commander Yaku will no longer entertain negotiations or alliances, and the tolls to cross his border will increase substantially._

It's hard to think of anything worse. Kenma could recover from a decimated inventory, he could even use cheat codes if he got really desperate, but it doesn't matter how you break the game, the Red Border is the only realistic entrance to the outer orbit. If Kuro's unable to travel across it freely, he'd become essentially unplayable. 

But negations are only cut off _after_ Kuro loses. 

Kenma's not big on this aspect of the game, he plays it for the challenging and accurate battle simulator, but he does know it's possible to trigger negotiations mid-battle. If they could somehow come to an agreement – play on the same team – Kuro might be able to salvage _something_ from this. And Kenma's maxed out both Kuro's Charisma and Perception, it should give him an advantage, as long as he can get negotiations started. 

_IntInf_ loads, mid battle, and Kenma's screen is immediately cluttered with urgent pop ups –

* Kuro's dart wave has taken severe damage. Lt. Inuoka calls for reinforcements!

* Kuro's aggressive charge to the center took the enemy off guard!! But they're fighting back. Additional force is needed to hold 

* Cmdr Kai reports 20% losses to the west flank. Requesting approval to divert resources for repair.

* Crew evacuation initiated on Rake Class Carrier 3

Kenma dismisses each one, looking instead to Kuro's interaction wheel, searching for some option to open dialogue with Commander Yaku.

 _Taunt_ is the only available greeting, options like _Sincere Regards_ and _Admiration_ grayed out. Taunting is not something Kenma usually considers productive, reserved for battles with characters like Bokuto or Daishou. Characters like Ushijima won't even bother to respond, and it's possible Yaku won't either, and likely that if he does, Kenma still won't be able to bring it around to a peaceful agreement. But it's a starting point.

**Taunt Cmdr Yaku**

**Cpt. Kuro:**  
_If it's getting too hot, I can go a little easier on you.. .. ._

Yaku's reply comes, instantly, with a huffy faced avatar, hands on his hips.

**Cmdr. Yaku:**  
_Don't tell me I knocked your sensors out already! Take a look around, captain, this battle's mine!!_

Kuro's mood flips, inexplicably, to _Flirty_.

Before Kenma can make sense of this, or even give the command, Kuro's taunting again.

**Cpt. Kuro:**  
_Big words for a scrawny outer orbit brat.. .. ._

Kenma returns immediately to Kuro's interaction wheel, confused when he doesn't see any of the typical romance options. No opening for negotiations, either.

He's not an expert on the romance mechanics, but he's pretty sure there should be an option to _flirt_ if his character is feeling flirty. Maybe romance interactions are locked during battles?

Surrender to Cmdr Yaku

Kenma's eyes land on the option, and he only hesitates a second before selecting it.

**Are you sure? Surrendering will end the battle and forfeit all losses to Commander Yaku.**

Yes, Kenma is sure.

The battle ends, and Kuro's mood flips instantly to _Defeated_. Still, as he had hoped, romantic options appear there on the interaction wheel, including –

Send invitation to meet with Cmdr Yaku in person

Kenma selects this.

This probably isn't going to work, Kenma will probably end up rolling back to the last save point, again. But if Kuro and Yaku have a successful romance, their fleets and territories would combine. Kuro wouldn't need permission to enter the outer orbit, or pay any tolls or taxes, because he would own the Red Border, too. 

Kenma watches, tense as a wire, lips pressed tight together, as the battlefield fades to black.

**Cpt. Kuro sets course for Federation Outpost 48.. .. ..**

Please remember, Captain.. .. .. Federation Outposts are not secure locations.. .. .. any discussions of classified topics could be overheard, and damage your reputation and responsibility stat.. .. .. 

The outposts are intended for rest and relaxation. Try your best to have fun!!

The outpost loads, with Kuro in a crowded market place, slumped, miserably.

It's always strange to see Kuro fully rendered. The standard battle animations are from the waist up, 2-D. In this type of gameplay, the characters are all full bodied, and though cartoonish, they're able to interact freely with their environment: objects, characters, and animals. They can eat, sleep, complete tasks, max out traits, even buy a home or get a job. Like how Kenma spends his _IntInf_ time in battle, a player could easily limit their entire game experience to these "fun" levels. 

With Kuro full size like this, it's easier to see just how lanky he is, how tall, and how dramatically he slouches when upset.

_Cpt Kuro will be grieving the loss of his fleet another 5 days_

Hn. Kenma felt for him before, but surrendering his fleet would've left minimal damage. Kuro's pouting, not truly mourning, and it's the result of pride – of Kenma maxing out his ambition. He'll need to shake it off quickly, though. He's seen others discussing how difficult it can be to romance otherwise compatible characters when they're not in the right mood.

Kuro keeps walking, and it seems aimless so Kenma zooms out a bit, looking around the map for Yaku himself. 

Eventually, he finds Yaku waiting beside a garden path on the other end of the market. Kenma overlooked him on his first pass, not expecting the small, unassuming figure to be Commander Yaku - without the details of Yaku's rank and medals on his uniform, he looks significantly less imposing than Kenma's used to, like one of the younger cadet characters. 

As Kuro approaches, Kenma selects Yaku to get a better look at his stats and mood – which is _Suspicious_ , arms crossed as Kuro arrives.

This isn't promising, but when he checks, _Flirt_ is one of Kuro's active options. 

So Kenma selects it. 

He expects Kuro to resist, or go out about it with a lazy, uninterested slouch, but he perks up immediately. Standing up straight, as though he had been waiting for the chance, Kuro smooths out his shirt, makes a dramatic motion with his hands, and a rose appears between his fingers. 

He bows slightly as he holds out for Yaku.

Kenma's surprised by his enthusiasm, and so, it seems, is Yaku. 

_**!!?**_ appears above Yaku, and – ah. He didn't like that at all. He shakes his head, pushing the rose back, then walks down the path, away from Kuro. 

Hopeful from Kuro's sudden mood shift – which is now bouncing between _Happy_ and _Flirty_ – Kenma checks Kuro's available interactions. 

_Compliment_ , Kenma clicks. Then, _Impress_ , _Share Interests_ , _Tell Joke_ , _Flirt_.

Kuro follows Yaku down the path, his action queue filled with charming, amorous intent, and not wanting to burn himself again, Kenma decides to pull up guides to the romance mechanics. This is a difficult search, though. The first page is primarily erotic fanwork, and Kenma's too close to his character to find it anything other than embarrassing, face heating as he scrolls. He's considering messaging Akaashi for help again, when he hears Kuro shout. 

He pulls the game back up just in time to see Yaku's mood change from _Annoyed_ to _Enraged_. 

Kuro's hands are up in surrender as Yaku shouts at him, finger in his face. When he finishes, Kuro shouts back, shaking his head, stomping his foot. Kenma's got Kuro's interaction wheel open, clicking frantically, looking for some kind of peace-making option, but Yaku does not have the patience. He rears back, and pounces. 

Kenma blinks, shocked by the sudden escalation. 

A cartoonish cloud of dust billows up almost the second Yaku makes contact, but he and Kuro are really - seriously, physically fighting, only a faint outlines of their bodies visible as they go. Kenma clicks around the dust cloud, trying to find someway to break them up, and sees, to his rising confusion, not only is _Flirt_ still one of Kuro's options, but so is _Propose_ and _Offer to extend lineage_??

Is this – just how certain characters romance... ? Kenma isn't sure how he feels about the idea, but the fight eventually breaks apart, both Kuro and Yaku panting, scratched and covered in dust. 

Unsure, but tentatively optimistic, Kenma selects _Propose_. 

Kuro smooths himself down again, his dust and scratches vanishing. He drops to his knee, one hand over his heart, the other sweeping forward dramatically, presenting a ring. 

Another **_!!? !?_** over Yaku's head. He shakes his fists, throwing a stompy little tantrum, furious. Kenma's not even surprised when Yaku pounces, again, and they disappear into another dust cloud.

**End Meeting with Yaku?**

Yes, Kenma selects.

To Kenma's disbelief, he sees Kuro's mood settle on _Content_ , avatar smiling so wide his eyes are closed, bright and happy, just for a moment before Kenma ends the scene. 

What. The hell. 

~

"Kenma!! Look at you! What time did you get to bed last night??"

"… Ten."

"Don't lie to me - what was it, two? Three in the morning?" his mother is walking quickly around the house, getting ready for the day. She's on a roll and doesn't need an answer, so Kenma doesn't give one. She goes on a bit with idle threats about taking the computer and television from his room if his sleeping habits don't improve, but is interrupted by the hour. She sends him off to school, telling him to study hard.

Kenma agrees, and he does study hard, all through lunch. Hunched over his phone, Kenma scrolls through the official online guide, taking notes.

** Kuroo Romance Mechanics **

Kuroo Tetsurou starts the game as an ensign, and has multiple romantic interests throughout, depending on which career path he takes. 

Kuroo's starting traits are: Charismatic, Goofball, Flirty, Geek, Handy, Perceptive, Ambitious, Cat Lover, Loyal, Hopeless Romantic, Confident, Outgoing, Athletic, Genius, Avant Garde, Loves the Heat, Loves Kids, Natural Cook, Bookworm, Diva

Primary Romantic Interests for Kuroo include:

**Tsukishima Kei** – To unlock this interest, Kuroo must max out on the following traits: **CONFIDENCE** , **PERCEPTIVE** , and **FLIRTY**. Kuroo has multiple opportunities to start a romance with Tsukishima throughout the game. Full article **( Romance Mechanics Guide: Kuroo and Tsukishima)**

**Bokuto Koutarou** – Required Traits: **CONFIDENCE** , **LOYAL** , and **GOOFBALL**. For a successful Bokuto relationship, romantic interest must be established before the first HiveWarp attack. Bokuto is one of the only characters capable of reaching Fleet Admiral status, and romancing Kuroo and Bokuto early in the game unlocks the full Hive defeat end. **( Romance Mechanics Guide: Kuroo and Bokuto)**

**Oikawa Tooru** – Required Traits: **PERCEPTIVE** , **GOOFBALL** , and **FLIRTY**. To unlock this interest, Kuroo must volunteer for the first outer orbit mission while still an ensign. **( Romance Mechanics Guide: Kuroo and Oikawa)**

Other romantic interests include: **Sawamura** , **Yaku** , **Sugawara** , **Lev** , **Player** , and **Daishou**. Note: it's possible for Kuroo to form a romantic interest with most characters he interacts with, though only the characters listed above have playable missions and cut scenes.

**Hopeless Romantic** : One of Kuroo's primary traits is Hopeless Romantic. This trait grants several boosts to the character while in a relationship: recovering from negative statuses faster, higher energy, motivation, and focus. Additionally, their health and skills increase when their partner sends encouragement. It is also possible for this character to monitor their partner's health and location. However a failed romance once the character has reached "Smitten" status will result in a **BROKEN HEART** which will lock out other romances for a longer period than most other characters.

~

** Yaku Romance Mechanics **

Yaku Morisuke starts the game as a commander and stays at this rank throughout. Yaku has one primary romantic interest. 

Yaku's starting traits are: Active, Adventurous, Unflirty, Truth-teller, Perfectionist, Daredevil, Fairplayer, Ambitious, Cat Lover, Foodie, Neat, Senpai, Outgoing, Heavy Sleeper, Gatherer, Loves the Outdoors, Loves the Cold, Soft Heart, Athletic, Workaholic

Primary Romantic Interests for Yaku include:

**Haiba Lev** – To unlock this interest, Yaku must max out the following traits: **ADVENTUROUS** , **TRUTH-TELLER** , and **SOFTHEART**. Yaku has multiple opportunities to romance with Lev throughout the game. Romantic interest must be established before the second Hive Warp attack. Full article **( Romance Mechanics Guide: Yaku and Lev)**

Other romantic interests include: **Nishinoya** , **Sugawara** , **Kuroo**. 

~

 **applepi** :  
there's no official guide for kuroo/yaku romance 

**shin_gen_ (Akaashi)** :  
No, there's not.  
https://intinfcommunity.com/discussions/forum/0/is_it_even_possible_to_romance_kur/  
This might help. 

**applepi** :  
thanks

 **shin_gen_ (Akaashi)** :  
You lost the Red Border Battle?

 **applepi** :  
not exactly  
just trying this first.

 **shin_gen_ (Akaashi)** :  
I'll be interested to hear if it works.  
It could be a fix for any character with a Yaku romance interest.

 **applepi** :  
yeah  
i'll let you know

Of course Kenma knew about Kuro's Hopeless Romantic trait, but disregarded it – it was irrelevant given Kenma's playing style. He had heard certain sects of players claiming that the only way to "really experience" Kuro was to have him in a romance, but dismissed it.

In a weird way he feels a little. Guilty. For not looking into it, at least. Kuro isn't real, but. It's important to take good care of tools, especially well loved tools, tools that have become irreplaceable. From seeing Kuro react so enthusiastically to his first chance to flirt meaningfully with another character, and this article, it's clear that this is basic maintenance that should've been addressed before. Kuro was designed for this game mechanic and Kenma's been neglecting it.

  
**Is even it POSSIBLE to romance Kuroo and Yaku????**

I keep trying but Kuroo being his charming flirty self just seems to annoy Yaku… I noticed just now that one of yaku's romance traits is UNFLIRTY? nothing's working and i'm about to give up!! I heard they have a really graphic happy ending cut scene.. :(

pls halp :(

  
Yes, it IS possible to romance Kuroo and Yaku, i've done it many times!

if you're just playing for kryk, the easiest way to do it is just start a new game as yaku, cause kuroo's way more receptive to romantic advances than the other way around. if you play as yaku, just max out perfectionist and active send kuro Flirt/Wink/Sweet Talk/literally anything until kuroo's interested lol. But here's how Kuroo romances Yaku. I'm sure there's more than one way to do it, but here's the map I came up with:

1\. Max kuroo's intelligence, perception, goofball, AND flirty traits. 

2\. KUROO HAS TO WIN the red border battle!! ALL Yaku romances need to gain an Admiration acknowledgment from yaku and AFAIK the only time kuroo has a chance to do get it is the red border battle. 

3\. after kuroo wins, he needs to send yaku Sincere Compliments. Like just keep selecting it over and over until yaku's ship is out of range lol. 

4\. yaku offers an alliance during border negotiations. accepting this will make kuroo and yaku TRUSTED COMRADES. this sounds good but TURN THIS DOWN!!!!! it's beneficial to campaigns into the outer orbits, but all romantic interactions with yaku will be locked off permanently. When he offers, Kuroo should select "lets get to know each other first".

5\. this is the hardest step and why (i think) people assume these two can't have a romance. Both kuroo and yaku have to survive the second hivewarp battle lol. This is obvious but you should def save before it starts. yaku's fleet is the first to take on the hive, and if you don't act fast, he'll be absorbed by the hive until the end of the game (or until lev finds him in the levyaku romance).

Kuroo should send reinforcements as soon as the battle starts. Kuroo should not leave the center post himself!! if he does then humans lose, the hive wins, and Yaku dies. once the battle's over, Kuroo will receive Sincere Gratitude from Yaku for the reinforcements. In return, Kuroo should send more Sincere Compliments. In response…. 

6\. Yaku will send an invitation to meet face to face!! YES! It's a date!! 

7\. FLIRT!! You can probably do a slower romance if that's your thing but yaku's super responsive to Flirt. Yeah one of Yaku's romance traits is Unflirty, but that just means you can't go in cold. If kuroo goes 100% as soon as they meet, he'll turn yaku off. Lev too, the only romantic interest yaku has Instant Chemistry with is Sugawara. But if yaku invites Kuroo on a date, he shouldn't hold back. It's like a proper date too, it's one of the cutest scenes in the whole series tbh. 

aaaaand I think you can figure out the rest yourself ;)

OH and the cut scene. I'd say it's on par with iwaoi's bath house fight scene. You know what's going on, but I think the rumors have exaggerated it lol, there's no visible anal or anything.

Kenma rereads the bit about having to win Yaku's admiration, and having to use the Red Border Battle to do it, three times. 

He takes a deep breath, steals his resolve, and pulls up the game, rolling back to the last save point. He braces for the panicked messages from his fleet, asking for help, but the screen stays strangely dark.

Kenma frowns.

**Cpt. Kuro sets course for Federation Outpost 48.. .. ..**

Please remember, Captain.. .. .. Federation Outposts are not secure locations.. .. .. any discussions of classified topics could be overheard, and damage your reputation and responsibility stat.. .. .. 

The outposts are intended for rest and relaxation. Try your best to have fun!!

… No. No, that's not right, Kenma tries to roll back, again, but it only erases the message from the screen, to repopulate again, exactly the same –

**Cpt. Kuro sets course for Federation Outpost 48.. .. ..**

Kenma stops, leaning forward, slowly, hands cupped over his mouth.

After a beat, Kenma slowly sits up straight again.

 **applepi** :  
just lost the battle.  
the game autosaved when i went to an outpost.

 **shin_gen_ (Akaashi)** :  
I'm sorry to hear that.  
Are you going to continue with this one?

 **applepi** :  
yes.

 **shin_gen_ (Akaashi)** :  
It would be easier to start over at this point, I think.

 **applepi** :  
i know.

 **shin_gen_ (Akaashi)** :  
I hope it works out.

 **applepi** :  
thanks.

~

Kuro has a house now. Or, Kenma supposes, he always had a house, but now Kuro knows where it is, and it's furnished. Kenma got him a table, two chairs, a painting for the wall, and a bed.

**Send Invite to Cmdr Yaku?**

Yes, please.

Looking through the two character starting traits, Kenma spotted **Natural Cook** in Kuro's, and **Foodie** in Yaku's. This feels intuitive. There were two options when he had Kuro start making the meal: _Meal_ , or _Meal made with love_. Kenma picked the second, with vague, undefined hope that it might help.

He's on edge, trying not to get his expectations up, when Yaku arrives at Kuro's front door. Kuro welcomes him, Kenma selects _warmly_ specifically. 

Yaku walks inside, and takes a seat at the kitchen table.

A "First Impression" status appears beside Yaku's mood, which is _Uncomfortable_.

**Yaku:**  
_.. .. .. (Yikes.. .. .. this place is empty and uninviting.)_

Kenma pauses the game. He buys a rug, bigger paintings, flowers, a vase, two sofas, a computer, and a bookshelf. He arranges it in Kuro's home, somewhat haphazardly. Then he remembers Yaku's Perfectionist trait, organizes them coherently, and resumes the game.

Kuro brings out his dish, setting it in front of Yaku. Kenma waits for whatever Yaku will find wrong with it – 

**_!!!!!_** appears over Yaku's head as he looks down at his plate. His mood flips quickly to _Excited!_ , and Kenma realizes its the first time he's seen his avatar smile in this setting.

**Yaku:**  
_.. .. .. (Wow!! Delicious!!)_

Kuro sits across from Yaku, and they eat, moods and comfort rising rapidly.

 _Tell a joke_ , Kenma selects, from Kuro's options. Kuro does, a goofy little thing with his fingers, and Yaku laughs. 

Two swirling hearts rise between them.

Excited, nervous, hopes rising again despite himself, Kenma selects it again, _Tell interesting story._ Kuro talks with his hands, and Yaku leans forward, actively listening. At the end Yaku's nodding along, laughing again. Again, more hearts. 

Kenma tightens his lips, remembering the warning about Yaku being turned off by flirt. But... it seems to be doing well.

**Flirt**

Yes.

The interaction wheels suddenly drop from the screen, grayed out, and for a moment Kenma panics, then realizes this the same mechanic that occurs in battle – the player can no longer to directly influence the scene, only watch how it plays out. 

Kuro flirts, again with the rose. 

Kenma has seen, many times, players using romantic moments between their characters in their signatures on game forums or as their icons. He did not under the impulse, because it's something literally anyone can generate between any two characters, it didn't seem like much of an accomplishment. But when Yaku accepts Kuro's rose, smells it, and two more hearts appear, he suddenly gets it. It's identical to the sense of victory that comes from a hard won battle. 

Kuro's mood has been solidly _Happy_ for a while now, but after Yaku's flips to _Flirty_ , Kuro's does, too. 

Yaku gets up from the table, and Kuro follows. Kenma doesn't know enough about these kinds of interactions to even guess what's about to happen, and even if he did he thinks he still would've been surprised by their decision to dance. 

They sway together in what Kenma assumes is a waltz, ending in a hug. 

The scene goes still, and grays out. A grade sheet appears on screen:

**Great Date!**  
Yaku and Kuro's date was great! Filled with tender, warm words, both of them are much closer with one another and looking forward to a second date!

~ 


	2. Chapter Two

Eventually, Kuro must report his loss to the inner orbit. 

This damages his reputation, but Kenma expected as much. He was actually afraid of worse, afraid Kuro would end up demoted, but he does keep his rank, and is even granted a new fleet.

**CPT KURO'S FLEET INVENTORY**  
ASSAULT SHIPS.. .. .. .. .. **003**  
MISSILE CRUISER.. .. .. .. . **005**  
GUIDED CRUISER.. . .. .. .. **010**  
DARTS.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. **050**

Kenma frowns.

It's tiny. Even smaller than the starter fleet Kuro was given when he very first became captain. 

Kenma wants his toys back, but that's entirely Yaku's prerogative. How successfully Kuro can woo him. That does seem to be going well, their date didn't earn them any of the mutual milestones like _Friend_ , _Trusted Comrade_ or _Inseparable_ , but Kuro did get a new addition to his profile: _That Special Someone_. 

When Kenma investigates, he reads _warm thoughts of That Special Someone brightens Kuro's day, and lifts his spirits!_ This is obviously romantic progress, and therefore good news, but Kenma doesn't expect much practical use to come of it. He's surprised when Kuro's _warm thoughts_ of Yaku drop his mourning counter from 5 days to 3. 

That – is surprisingly useful. 

The game isn't unplayable when Kuro is in mourning, but the moodiness makes him resistant to energy-heavy commands, and he takes almost no initiative, which is Kenma's favorite part of playing this game, and this character. Until Kuro finishes mourning, Kenma will have to direct every move he makes in battle. Even shaving a day off that is an improvement.

He's really got to stop underestimating the romance elements of the game. 

It is a school night and he should already be in bed, but Kenma spends the next hour in another optional battle: **Thief Escort**. Kuro must deliver nefarious thief and smuggler Miya Atsumu to the Federation court for trial, only to cross into a no-man's land, and find himself under siege from Miya Osamu.

This is another battle meant to be played early on, intended to build/reward the player's perception abilities. The final challenge, after subduing Osamu's ships, is to tell the twins apart when they attempt to swap places, before handing them over to the Federation. This might have been a challenge if Kuro had played it as an ensign, but today, even sluggish and mourning, Kuro's AI is able to tell the two apart without difficulty.

**A Well Earned Reward**  
The Inner Orbit is impressed with Kuro's speed and efficiency in dealing with the Miyas.. .. .. while Miya Family's contraband would usually become the property of the Federation, as a reward for his good work, Captain Kuro has been granted the additional ships and men into his own fleet.

Well done, Captain.

The Miyas fly a gorgeous Rake Class Carrier that had almost overpowered Kuro's meager fleet, and adding it to his inventory raises Kuro's firepower considerably.

Throughout the mission, there had been multiple opportunities for Kuro to romance both Miyas, and here comes another.

**Miya A**  
_AUGH!!.. .. .. Listen, captain.. .. .. you better take care of her!! She's never known the touch of another man.. .. .._

Kuro has the chance to respond flirtatiously, and it's an opening Kenma never would've looked at twice before, but now considers, for a moment.

He's decided that regardless of anything else, he will be romancing Kuro with _someone_ before the game is over, and the Miyas are a well connected family in their own right. They're rich, and from the outer orbit, which would grant Kuro the access he needs, but… Kenma does not like the idea, in a way that is distinctly irrational. He feels like an overprotective parent. They are not _good enough_ for Kuro. Yaku is a good character, with a good reputation, he's loyal, and smart, and he liked Kuro's cooking, and Kuro had enjoyed his time with him. He's an ideal match for Kuro. As long as there might be a chance, Kenma is sticking with Yaku.

As if on cue, another message pops on screen–

**Cmdr Yaku**  
_Saw a picture of a rooster today and thought of you.. .. .. Let me know when I can repay you for that dinner._

Kuro's mood rockets up to _Inspired_ , and the game asks if Kuro would like to accept Yaku's offer, or send a rain check?

No, now. They can meet now, right away, and Kenma accepts the invitation.

**Cpt. Kuro sets course for Federation Outpost 03.. .. ..**

Please remember, Captain.. .. .. 

According to _The Interstellar Guide to Etiquette and Charm_ , and a gift for your host is a lovely way to thank them, and let them know they've been on your mind.. .. .. 

Kenma stops, rereading this. The game has a few bits of random color text for loading screens, but sometimes they'll provide mission-specific tips. Should – Kuro get Yaku a gift? Would that be coming on too strong? Though the fan write up did say that if _Yaku_ made the invite, Kuro shouldn't hold back.

Another crowded marketplace loads, and again Kenma's unable to find Yaku. Kenma's looking, and still trying to make up his mind about the gift, when he gets a message – a real one, from an actual person. 

**SHOgunSHOyo (Hinata)**  
kenma!!!  
still up?  
Busy???  
team game????  
(･з･)???????

 **applepi** :  
busy with intinf sorry  
hey shoyo  
if someone wanted you to be their boyfriend, what sort of present would you want from them?

Shoyo is quiet a long, long time. Long enough for Kenma to reread what he sent, realize how coy it sounds, and heat to start spreading across his face.

 **applepi** :  
It's for a game.

Kenma flinches. On screen, it looks like a hopelessly clumsy backtrack, and this is how Shoyo must read it, as well, going by his flustered response.

 **SHOgunSHOyo (Hinata)**  
I'm not picky!!!!!  
It could be anyhting!!!!  
if someone liked me, I would be happy with anything they got me!!!  
its the thought that counts!!!  
╭( ･ㅂ･)و

The messages arrive, the same time Kenma is typing, as fast as he can – 

**applepi** :  
i'm trying romance between two characters intinf it's prompting me to buy a gift i wasn't sure what to get.

 **SHOgunSHOyo (Hinata)**  
OOOOOOh  
haha!!  
that makes sense!!!!!  
Flowers and Candy  
Can't go wrong!!

 **applepi** :  
yeah thanks

He's embarrassed, and not entirely sure what inspired him to ask Shoyo in the first place, but – well. It's easy to ask Shoyo something. Easy to talk to. And he has a very different way of viewing the world then Kenma, one that Kenma appreciates. At the very least, getting Shoyo's input usually gets Kenma moving in a new direction, and Hinata wasn't wrong either. While Kenma was distracted, Kuro took the initiative in the market place, purchasing a _Romantic Gift_ , which is represented by a box of chocolates and flowers in his inventory. 

And that's that, Kenma guesses. 

Ignoring the steady, heavy squirm of unnamed emotion in his stomach when Kenma glances back toward his phone, he tries to focus back on the game. 

Presumably this is the outpost Yaku lives on, it's one of the closest to the border, but he's impossible to find in the crowd. Kenma pulls back the map, but can't find him there, either, and is eventually forced to look through Kuro's contacts, and send request to visit. Once Yaku agrees, the scene cuts in and out, transporting Kuro outside Yaku's home. 

It's a cottage. Cozy and small. 

It's not what Kenma would've pictured, but Kuro appreciates it. He reacts with a surprised _**!!!**_

**Kuro:**  
_.. .. .. (Homey!.. .. .. Very nice.)_

Inside, Yaku displays the usual level of coherency of AI in this game – despite inviting Kuro for dinner, he is both surprised to find Kuro at his door, and completely unprepared to feed him. He's amicable to the visit, though, welcoming Kuro inside, apparently willing to entertain.

 _Give Romantic Gift_ appears in Kuro's action queue, and Kenma barely cancels it in time. Yaku's mood needs to at least be at _Flirty_ before Kuro drops that, he's sure. It's a pretty intense move.

Not even Kuro is feeling particularly romantic, though, he's _Playful_ , most of his interaction options revolve around jokes and pranks. 

_Goof Around_ , Kenma selects. It seems like a safe bet.

Goofing around, apparently, consists of telling a joke, then ending it with a goofy face, pulling one eyelid down and sticking out his tongue. 

This is not what Kenma imagined someone with a Charisma stat 10 would look like while telling a joke, but it works. Yaku laughs, apparently delighted. He makes a goofy face back, mood flipping to match Kuro's, _Playful_.

This – is going well, so Kenma allows Kuro fly on his own, watching the two of them joke and laugh, the meter monitoring their connection rising, slowly but surely. 

He is not expecting it when Yaku reaches behind his back, and pulls out a gift of his own for Kuro – _**!!!**_ appears over Kuro's head as he accepts the present. But this is again, the AI's idea of keen wit: it's a prank. Once Kuro unscrews the jar, three fake snakes spring out, into Kuro's face. 

Yaku laughs uproariously, arms wrapped around his middle, and after the surprise settles, Kuro joins him, laughing along. 

They're nowhere near anything romantic, but before Kenma can stop him, Kuro pulls his own gift out of his inventory, and presents it. 

Yaku takes the box, wrapped in red, heart patterned paper. The music swells, Yaku opens the lid, and hearts come bursting out in a dramatic animation, swirling all around Yaku, then up into the air, popping like bubbles. 

To Kenma's confused relief, Yaku's mood goes to _Touched_.

**Yaku:**  
_.. .. .. (Chocolate and flowers.. .. .. talk about cheesy!  
But.. .. .. it's a nice thought.. .. .. )_

… There's something about that phrasing that makes Kenma look back, again, toward his phone.

On screen, Yaku touches Kuro's cheek, which is an animation Kenma's never seen before – Kuro certainly likes it, swooning, two hearts swirling between them. 

This is good, Kenma knows, but with his sudden reminder of Shoyo appreciating gifts that come from nice thoughts, very embarrassing to watch. And it is late, and he doesn't want to test his mother too much. 

Kenma saves, and closes the game. 

~

"Kozume-san… ?" 

Kenma pauses the game of Tetris on his handheld, looking up at the nervously approaching first year, gripping the strap of his bookbag tight. 

"I heard – uhm. Some kids were talking," he says. "Are you really applepi?"

Kenma unpauses his game, refocusing on it. "Yes." 

The first year's eyes light up. "You hold the speed run record for Mon Hun right??"

"Mon Hun 2, 3, and 4," Kenma says. "Without mods."

"Well, mods don't even count anyway!!" The first year bursts, getting louder, shyness vanishing in his excitement, and Kenma winces, sinking in on himself. He hopes this doesn't attract additional attention from the other students in the court yard. "Are you going to do more?? Your last upload was in June, did you know there's an American player trying to beat your record for Mon Hun 4?? He's second now, he's getting really close!"

"Gamers are always trying to beat speedrun records," Kenma says. 

"Well, yeah, but – if he beats it, are you just gonna let him?"

"If he beats it," Kenma frowns in thought… he made a few errors in that run, he knows. He could tighten it up. Shave a few seconds off. "I might try again."

It's just such an unpleasant process. Kenma has a channel for his speedruns with several hundred thousand subscribers, and he used to do it more regularly. He stopped because the experience was so very, very terrible, beginning to end. It's how he met Shoyo and Akaashi and several online friends, so Kenma doesn't regret it, but he does not like filming himself, or being expected to add commentary as he plays, and commentary from viewers in the chats were distracting at best, and insulting at worst. And it was worst. A lot. 

"I hope you do!!" the first year goes on, emboldened, sitting down next to him. "What are you playing now? Are you gonna speed run it?"

" _Interstellar Infinite_."

"Oh," he says. "You can't speed run that."

"No," Kenma agrees. 

"But – the next installment is coming out soon! Next year, I think. Did you hear there's going to be a huge twist??"

Kenma stops himself from saying, _there's always going to be a huge twist_ , not wanting to be that disagreeable, but. It's true. For every sequel, really, but especially _IntInf_. 

"I heard," Kenma says. "That's why I'm trying to finish my game now."

"Do you think you'll try a speed run for Mon Hun 5 when it comes out??" the first year gets back on his target, not to be distracted for long. 

"Probably."

"If you do, I'll definitely watch it!" he says. "I've tried some speed runs, too, they're not as good as yours, but I rank like, 163rd… " 

He goes on like this the rest of their lunch hour, Kenma sitting, stiff and uncomfortable, until the bell rings and he escapes quickly back to class. He'd actually forgotten the reason why he focused in on finishing all the optional missions and battles.

IntInf remembers player preferences, stats and AI. It will be possible to start completely fresh once the new game comes out, but it is also possible to graduate characters into the new missions and settings, and continue on the new storyline, whatever they're planning, whatever the huge twist is going to be. 

It's a reminder that whatever decisions he makes now, in this game, could impact the rest of his time playing this series. He remembers Akaashi's advice, that at this point it would be easier to start fresh. Kenma knows that's true, but he's feeling more stubborn than ever. He trusts _this_ Kuro, he's developed _this_ Kuro, and this is the one he is going to bring with him into the next game. 

~

The last optional battle available is **Cadet Uprising** , set at the inner orbit Federation Academy Kuro himself attended. 

The current cadets are displeased with their treatment, and the special privileges afforded to the 'legacy' students. This is another battle that leans on auxiliary traits like Charisma, and Kenma is confident in Kuro's ability to negotiate with the cadet's leader, Goshiki Tsutomu. Both Kenma and Kuro are distracted along the way, though, when a message from Yaku appears.

**Cmdr Yaku:**  
_Tetsurou – er – captain.. .. .. Just wanted to wish you luck on your next mission.. .. .. maybe we can meet up again once it's over._

**Cpt Kuro:**  
_Heh.. .. .. Sounds like a date to me!_

Yaku's avatar goes flustered, alternating between two pink faced poses, arms crossed, and hands on his hips.

**Cmdr Yaku:**  
_!!! .. .. .. Wa-wait, that's – this is –  
Well, fine. If you insist. It's a date._

A victorious little chime goes off in the game, a new pop up coming up from below.

**Cpt Kuro is now SMITTEN**  
Captain Kuro is now smitten with Commander Yaku. This gives Captain Kuro the ability to sense Commander Yaku's warm thoughts, concerns, and other significant moods. He can also _follow his heart_ whenever he would like to see Commander Yaku in person

On the opposite side of Kuro's stats, a small, heart shaped icon appears. Clicking on it reveals a detailed break down of Yaku's stats and mood ( _Lvl 7 Cmder_ , and _Happy_ , respectively), and Yaku's location in relation to Kuro ( _The Red Border_ ). There's also a compass, the needle pointing east, where the Red Border, and Yaku, sits.

Kenma's pleased with this, but it's nothing compared to Kuro's twitterpated avatar, practically glowing. 

They continue on with their **Cadet Uprising** mission, but Kenma meanders around far more than he probably should on the way, testing this new tracker, moving to one side of the inner orbit to another, watching the needle stay fixed reliably east, toward Yaku. 

Kenma's surprised at himself, actually more excited to try the tracker out in a proper date – this should make Yaku much easier to find in a crowded outpost marketplace – than he is to play through the rebellion at the academy.

This is also more difficult than Kenma was expecting – not in complexity level, but because it feels like the game is trying to push Kuro toward using unnecessary force.

**Cadet Goshiki:**  
_We're NOT willing to compromise on this injustice.. .. .. and we won't negotiate with someone who refuses to see that!!!_

In response, two of Kuro's options involve a show of force, one is a threat to send Goshiki to the Federation court system instead and see if they have any more mercy. Only one says _Continue negotiations anyway._

Kuro does talk Goshiki down, but Kenma's left a little unsettled by how many empty promises he'd had to make to do it.

**Cadet Goshiki:**  
_And.. .. .. you give your word that we'll have a fair say??_

Yes, Kuro vows, though there's nothing that could possibly guarantee this.

There's no real resolution. 

If Kenma had played this when he was supposed to, early on, he simply would've assumed this would be addressed in later missions. But he's already at the end, and knows it was not. He can't tell if this is intentionally uncomfortable, or just sloppy. Normally Kuro's mood would tell him, but Kuro is far too pleased at the moment to be conflicted about anything – Yaku just had two warm thoughts about him.

He thinks about looking it up himself, when a new message on his phone gets his attention. It's probably Shoyo, probably asking about another game together. This would be perfect timing, Kenma would like the chance to vent – but it's not Shoyo. It's a schoolmate, asking about an assignment.

Kenma checks and sees that, in fact, Shoyo hasn't sent him anything since their last conversation, and he hasn't been online either.

His bites his lip, concerned. 

**applepi** :  
are you there?  
did you fail a test?

That's the only time Kenma can remember Shoyo not being online a full day in the past: when he was banned from it by his mother in order to study.

There's no response. 

Kenma hesitates, wanting to send something more, address their awkward miscommunication earlier. If he could figure out what to say. Shoyo, it seems, always knows what to say, so he's usually the one to take the led in awkward moments. Selfishly, Kenma thinks how nice it would be if Shoyo had the same tracker as the game, and could just sense Kenma's concern and Kenma wouldn't have to say anything at all. But he does try, multiple times, to work up the courage or the words. 

**applepi** :  
you were right about the flowers and chocolate 

He winces, and stops there.

~

A day passes in the game, and Kuro wakes up to this ominous message:

**Cmdr Yaku:**  
_(Got a bad feeling about today.. .. .. hope Tetsurou doesn't do anything stupid.. .. .. )_

This is obvious forewarning for the second Hive Warp battle.

It's coming, probably soon, and Kuro's got a fleet that could barely hold off a group of cadets. 

Once again this mechanic has proven itself useful, as Kenma can use the few precious hours he has to build his fleet as much as possible. Scrambling, Kenma uses cheats to duplicate Kuro's inventory, and then a second time. That's the limit of what he can do, and it's not what Kenma wanted to have for this final, fate deciding battle, but it's better than nothing.

The first Hive Warp battle is quiet, sneaking up on players. It starts with darts appearing on the player's radar, foreign but weak, swarming in until the player is overwhelmed, struggling to keep control, and then the big ships show up.

The second Hive Warp starts with a bang, literally, a loud, echoing, thunderous _CRACK_ , and Kenma's screen shakes, jostled wildly.

**Cpt Kuro**  
_What was that?!?!_

The screen goes black.

A cut scene: an army approaches. Far away now, but their size makes them span the entire length of the screen. They're moving in on the Red Border, which is imposing in almost every other animation in the game, but from this scale, from this distance, it's nothing more than a long, thin thread. Kenma's seen this animation before, it was even in the trailers for the game, but now Kenma knows what Yaku's ship looks like, the one he commands, and he can see it there, on the frontline, impossibly tiny. 

Hive starts swarming the Red Border, and the cut scene ends.

The battle begins, Kuro in position in the center, just behind the Red Border. Kenma gathers what few ships Kuro can spare while still having what would classify as a fleet, sending to Yaku, when he gets a notice.

* Cmdr Yaku sends reinforcements!

_No._ Yaku's AI must be able to tell that Kuro is well below threshold for this battle, and they're close now, they're important to each other, the green bar of connection between them almost full, so he's sending Kuro help. But this is terrible strategy, and the thing Kenma was always a little afraid of, when it came to romance. That Kuro's decision making would be influenced by irrational attachments.

Kenma quickly rejects Yaku's reinforcements, but it pops up again, instantly.

* Cmdr Yaku sends reinforcements!

This time he's not fast enough to reject them, and they're added to Kuro's fleet.

" _Stop it_ ," Kenma actually mumbles, out loud, frustrated. He gathers up the new ships in his inventory, sending them back to Yaku.

* Cmdr Yaku sends reinforcements!

A new pop up, with a far more elaborate border than the characters usually use, appears, obscuring everything. It's an Outer orbit military leader, someone Kuro has never received a message from before.

**Admiral Ukai:**  
_Hello, all.. .. .. I know we don't always see eye to eye. We've fought against one another as long as I can remember. But here.. .. .. today.. .. .. we all need to come together. We need to hold that border!! It's our best defense against Hive. We're calling for everyone to work together.. .. .. Help us hold that border!!!_

It flickers, cutting out – replaced by an Inner orbit commander.

**Admiral Washijo:**  
_Listen here!! The Outer orbit is lost, the Red Border is going to fall.  
In order to save humanity.. .. .. including the good men and women in the outer orbit.. .. .. we need to fall back and start defending the Inner orbit Federation. I'm not gonna make it an order. But fighting in the Outer orbit is a suicide mission, so I'm not making that an order either. Saving what we have left in the Inner orbit is our only hope, and we gotta act fast.. .. .. _

The game asks Kenma to decide.

Despite what he just thought about Kuro's judgment being tainted by emotion, and his frustration with Yaku's decisions, Kenma knows that if the last week or so hadn't happened, Kenma would agree with Washijo. He would let the Red Border fall, and put his energy toward the safer bet.

But Kenma's judgment has been tainted, too. 

He keeps Kuro where he is, defending the Red Border. He knows there's no winning this, he knew from the beginning that Kuro didn't have the power to hold back Hive. Kuro's mood stays _Focused_ , when he normally might be _Tense_. He's aware of Yaku fighting in front of him, and it keeps him clearheaded. Yaku is _Driven_ , then, as other fleets start falling back, one by one, overwhelmed and escaping to the Inner orbit, drops to _Concerned_ , his avatar leaning forward over his control, expression tense, concerned. They're not going to win this, but he keeps Kuro there, until the Hive swallows Yaku's Red Border. 

Until Yaku's avatar flickers out, and his stats go entirely, ominously, gray.


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm splitting this chapter in two cause it got so huge. the next part will be up shortly.

There's no objectively "wrong" choice in _Interstellar Infinite_. The universe is just too expansive for simple a right/wrong dichotomy. There's no morality system in place, no karma, and the game doesn't try to trick or punish players for their decisions.

But there are always consequences. 

Kuro holds his position – and Kenma understood that would mean a defeat. But he didn't really consider that this is a high stakes situation. Kuro is concerned, Kuro is worried, and that grows as Yaku's situation grows more desperate. They stand together, down to the last possible moment, and this fills the status bar indicating their connection until it's a full, solid green. Maxed out.

The consequence – when Yaku's stats are cut off, Kuro reacts as though he's taking actual damage. He grunts, wincing, red flashing in a warning on his status bar.

**Cpt Kuro**  
_Morisuke.. .. .. ?!?!_

This is when the game locks the player out.

It's up to Kuro to finish the battle, with all the decision making skills he's gathered up to this point. He's too distracted to access them. He's unfocused, mood dropping quickly to _Anxious_. His avatar is clearly uncomfortable, sweating, worried.

**Cpt Kuro**  
_Hails aren't going through.. .. .._

Despite realizing this, Kuro continues to send useless hail after hail to the Red Border, ignoring the multiple urgent messages from his fleet.

* Cmdr Kai reports 50% losses to the west flank. Falling back for urgent repairs.

* Lt Inuoka's Dart wave has FAILED. Falling back to the eastern flank.

* Crew evacuation initiated on Rake Class Carrier 1

* Crew evacuation initiated on Rake Class Carrier 3

Kenma sits back, fingers to his temple, waiting for the inevitable loss screen to load.

Kuro might actually die, here. 

A strange, numb calm settles. What's the next step? If Kuro dies? His last save point is before the battle, but like the last time Kenma found himself in this position, there's really not enough time to do anything substantial. Maybe he can look for a better cheat. Something to make his fleet stronger. He thinks he's heard of other players copying inventories from another profile, or maybe –

_CPT. KURO'S FLEET IS DEFEATED_

Kenma holds his breath. It's only a handful of seconds between this and the next screen, but it feels like minutes. He's never lost Kuro before. He wonders what that message would look like.

**Cpt. Kuro:**  
_Ugh.. .. .. next time, I won't be caught so off guard.. .. ..!_

Kenma exhales as the words scroll on screen, so relieved even the next inventory check that follows isn't even enough to ruin it.

 **CPT KURO'S FLEET INVENTORY**  
RAKE CLASS CARRIERS.. .. .. **000** **(-003)**  
ASSAULT SHIPS.. .. .. .. .. **000** **(-009)**  
MISSILE CRUISER.. .. .. .. . **003** **(-012)**  
WALT CLASS GUIDED CRUISER.. **006** **(-024)**  
DARTS.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. **023** **(-127)**

Bad news, but expected. 

Kenma now waits for Kuro's mood, unable to imagine what it must look like after this kind of damage. Will Yaku's capture mean Kuro's _Heartbroken_? Kenma doesn't know, and he's also unsure what that status fully entails. 

But Kuro's not _Heartbroken_ , and he's not even _Mourning_. 

He's _Determined_. His avatar wears a grim expression, standing at his full height.

_Cpt Kuro is emboldened, and driven to accomplish his goal at all costs._

His goal? As long as Kenma has played the game, Kuro's goal has been _Achieve success as a leader in the Inner Orbit command_.

Occasionally Kuro will change it to something more specific, back when Kuro was an ensign it would often become _Impress Admiral Nekomata_ or _Promotion to lieutenant_ or another task, but it was always in service of his overarching goal, and once he achieved it, it would revert to the initial one Kenma selected – back when he picked the color of Kuro's jacket, and the spelling of his name.

When he opens Kuro's profile now, he sees Kuro's changed it again.

**Cpt. Kuro's Current Goal**  
Rescue Cmdr Yaku.

~

 **SHOgunSHOyo (Hinata)** :  
i knew it!!  
can't go wrong with flowers and chocolates (･з･)

This distraction couldn't have come at a better time. Kenma literally spins his chair around as soon as he hears the chime, turning on his gaming system before responding.

 **applepi** :  
thanks again  
team game?

 **SHOgunSHOyo (Hinata)** :  
I wish  
i'm not at home!!!  
that's why i didn't respond before  
i had to go to the doctor

 _Doctor_. Kenma freezes in place. A sudden memory, Shoyo explaining away his poor performance in a game, saying it was because of "before." "Before", he hadn't spent much time on video games. "Before", he had said, he spent most of his time running around outside, sports, racing, and so on. 

The implication was that something had happened now to change that, but it had been early enough in their friendship that Kenma hadn't felt comfortable asking for more details. 

He stands in the middle of his room, holding his phone with both hands. 

Now, they're close enough that he feels something akin to lost when he reads this.

 **applepi** :  
are you hurt?

 **SHOgunSHOyo (Hinata)** :  
no no no  
nothing new

 **applepi** :  
are you okay?

 **SHOgunSHOyo (Hinata)** :  
i should be better than ever!!!!  
they found a match so  
now I just wait to see if my body rejects it (･з･)

 **applepi** :  
rejects  
what?  
a match?  
you had surgery?

 **SHOgunSHOyo (Hinata)** :  
yeah i was waiting for kidney but they found a match!!  
surgery was a success ＼(★∀★)／  
and now we just gotta see if my body wants to keep it  
╭( ･ㅂ･)و

 **applepi** :  
are you okay?

Kenma winces, he's already asked exactly that.

 **applepi** :  
i hope you're recovering well, I mean.

 **SHOgunSHOyo (Hinata)** :  
thanks, i think I am!!  
i'll let you know if anything happens  
and when i get home we can play teams!!  
and maybe hang out and do other things too??  
it would be fun to see tokyo with you  
that's what i've been thinking anyway  
(◠‿◠)

Kenma swallows, feeling a new wave of – something. He isn't sure. Fear. The squirming emotion from his gut, before, wriggling up into his chest, reaching his heart, where it's becoming something too real to ignore.

The problems from his game, which had seemed so daunting just minutes before, now feel like the perfect distraction. Kenma wishes Shoyo a fast recovery again, turns off his gaming system, and returns to his computer.

~

**Saving Tendo from the Hive??**

I've been romancing Ushijima/Tendo and I just finished the second HiveWarp battle…. Every time I play, Tendo gets captured by the hive. Is there anything I can do?? or am I stuck waiting for the end of the game for them to reunite again??? :( This is the seventh time i've tried to save him…. 

sorry but it's impossible to save Tendo in HiveWarp 2. 

Here are all the characters who can be captured, and their chance of surviving: 

https://interstellarinfinite.database.com/bat/HiveWarp2#Victims

Kyotani – 60%  
Moniwa – 10%  
Semi – 35%  
Tanaka – 35% (a noya/tanaka romance before it starts gets him up to 50%)  
**Tendo – 0%**  
Yaku – 15%  
Yukie – 50%

He doesn't even have any animations until **( SPOILERS )**. He has to get captured, there's nothing you can do. 

lol if you're shipping ushiten, you've got way bigger problems.

and what's that supposed to mean?

It's nothing against the pairing, sorry. 

Trust me, you'll find out.  


Great! Now I'm even more anxious! :)

if you dont want spoilers, stop reading now. (sorry I don't know how to do spoiler text)

******SPOILERS!******

BASICALY tendo wasnt captured by hive.... tendo is hive. he's been spying on ushiwaka the whole game. the only ushitendo ending they made is when tendo comes back and tries to kill ushiwaka. 

but alot of people think the part of the **big twist** in the next game is gonna be a redemption arc for tendo, or maybe he's a double agent, or something.  
******END OF SPOILERS!******

sorry but it could be worse. the rest of the characters who get captured are gone the rest of the game.

except levyaku i guess :P.

*huff huff* Did someone give me a chance to talk about the levyaku rescue missions?????? 

So listen. Lev is the tallest playable character in intinf, and he's got a unique build. Lev-only missions load with HIS custom build, NOT the default. 

The yaku rescue mission loads the DEFAULT build, and then it CORRECTS to Lev. So THIS MEANS – 

1) they wasted their own time and designed the yaku rescue mission to be playable by multiple characters for nooo reason

2) the rescue mission WAS playable for multiple characters BEFORE, and they took it out, or

3) it's still possible TODAY, if someone can figure it out.

I've tried, but even using cheats I can't figure out how to get anyone else on that rescue mission. But damnit i'm not giving up!!

Wow, thanks for sharing! I had no idea! 

That actually reminds me, too.. I was going through the unused dialogue for battle scenes, and Yaku has a few weird ones. One was like, "you always were a teacher's pet" or something.

Sugawara and Yaku went to the academy together, but they never battle!! And it's a bit more "bitey" than their interactions usually are. 

I actually think the dialogue was written for Kuroo (No way was Noya or Lev a teacher's pet lol), but as far as I know, Yaku and Kuroo never went to the academy together??? 

Either way it's weird. I think your second guess is correct, something big was cut from the game for some reason.

The posts, he realizes after taking another look, are dated well over a year ago. Kenma searches through some of the posters comment history to see if there have been any updates since then, but finds nothing.

When he shows it to Akaashi the next time he's online, he says he's never heard about any additional rescue mission, either.

 **shin_gen_ (Akaashi)** :  
Well…  
The difficult part of the LevYaku rescue mission is making their relationship strong enough before Yaku gets captured.  
If they're close enough, Yaku sends Lev an SOS from the Hive prison with his location.  
If Lev doesn't receive that message with the location key, he can't go on the mission, either.  
Essentially, Yaku always has to initiate the rescue.  
So unless your Yaku does that, I don't see how Kuroo can rescue him. 

**applepi** :  
how long does it take for yaku to send lev his location?

 **shin_gen_ (Akaashi)** :  
https://interstellarinfinite.database.com/mi/HiveWarpRescue  
Up to three in-game days, according to the wiki.  
I wouldn't recommend waiting. According to all the information I've seen about the new installment, it hits the ground running.  
The safest move is to start rebuilding.  
In my opinion.

Kenma doesn't say anything, because he knows Akaashi's right. It's been five days, in-game. There is not going to be a message from Yaku providing his location and asking for help.

This is impossible to convey to Kuro. Stubborn and resourceful as Kenma built him, he is devoted to _Finding that missing piece..._ his thoughts eternally preoccupied, and concerned, with Yaku. 

Kenma does try to rebuild – Kuro returns to the inner orbit with his pathetic fleet, and accepts quadrant purging grinding missions to earn more ships the hard way, but any time Kuro's given autonomy over any scene, his focus returns to Yaku, attempting to fly back to the Red Border, to where the Hive was last seen, sometimes just circling uselessly. He still sends occasional, hopeful hails to the Red Border, simply refusing to accept his new reality: Yaku is gone, and there's nothing that can be done to get him back. 

~

On Outpost 56, Kuro and Daishou sit across from one another, in Daishou's home. 

They're on a date.

Daishou Suguru is an outer orbit commander, has a moderately sized fleet, but he stood out to Kenma because of his unique **Game-Breaker** trait. This makes him able to evade tolls, taxes, duplicate his inventory, and other tricks that would otherwise require a cheat. 

If Kenma is going to start planning for the next installment of IntInf, he has to admit it's a useful skill set to have. 

Lovesick Kuro, though, does not agree. 

_Compliment_ , Kenma selects. 

It sits in the action queue only for a beat before Kuro removes it.

 _Compliment_ , Kenma selects, again. And then adds it four more times: _Compliment,_ _Compliment,_ _Compliment,_ _Compliment._

It's the closest thing to romantic on Kuro's interaction wheel. 

Kuro's mood is _Uncomfortable_ , he's slouched and unenthusiastic, but he finally complies, with a flippant wave of his hand.

Two negative marks appear between Kuro and Daishou, their relationship status bar inching closer to red.

**Cmdr Daishou**  
_.. .. .. (What's this guy playing at.. .. .. I don't trust his insincere compliments at all!!)_

As Kuro delivers his next compliment, Daishou's mood flips to _Annoyed_. Unsurprisingly, he responds with an insult.

Kenma's not actually sure which one initiates the fight. They stand at the same time, and both pounce at once, promptly disappear in a dust cloud.

When they pull apart, Kuro is certainly not feeling flirty. He's deeply uncomfortable, literally slumping forward, his expression pained.

**Reminder**  
As a smitten character, Kuro is deeply uncomfortable dating new romantic interests.

Kenma sighs, and ends the date.

**Terrible Date!**  
Daishou and Kuro's date was **terrible**! Kuro was distracted and bored, and Daishou felt insulted! They are now on negative terms and are more likely to fight when they meet again!

Kenma has known the easy answer for a while, but if anything is more stubborn than ever about finding some kind of solution. At a loss and unable to come up with anything else, Kenma finally just makes an account on the official board, to ask outright.  
  


**Kuroo smitten with a captured character.**

I know kuro eventually moves on if his romantic interest dies, but his romantic interest was captured by the hive. Now my kuroo's goal is rescuing his romantic interest, and I can't get him to forget it. 

Is there anything I can do to fix it?

restart the game lmao.

what character? None of Kuroo's interests can be captured by the hive can they?

Yaku can, but Kuroo can't be smitten with him until AFTER the hivewarp battle. They can't even get any romantic interactions unless they defeat Hive...

They started romancing after the red border battle. 

I just had them go on dates in the outposts until they warmed up to each other.

uh well I wish I had your magical version of the game then, because that's impossible in my version.

This response annoys Kenma enough to prove it with a screenshot. 

With all of Kuro's larger ships befitting a captain's status destroyed, Kenma directs him, manually, to one of the Darts sitting in the hanger. Once in the ship, Kuro's full stats will load, including Yaku's stats, and Kenma decides he'll screenshot Kuro's current goal, as well, for good measure, opening up the screengrab tool as Kuro climbs onto the Dart. 

Kenma freezes in place, blinking as he sees the heart icon is no longer gray – it's red, and clickable again.

Slowly, he clicks.

The romance stats load, including the tracker, pointing west. Inviting Kuro to _follow his heart_. 

Kenma clicks it.

**Meet Cmdr Yaku in Person?**

This feels like a trap, like it's too good to be true, but… Kenma clicks yes.

**Cpt. Kuro sets course for [\\\TODO: reset].. .. ..**

Please remember, Captain.. .. .. 

.. .. .. 

\\\TODO: reset

A cut scene. Kenma's eyes go round in surprise, watching: inside the hanger, a Dart quietly rises up into the air, then floats out, into space.

It's short, and hardly the most exciting cut scene Kenma's seen, but it says. A lot.

~

 **applepi** :  
i think i found a way to do play a hive rescue with kuro

 **shin_gen_ (Akaashi)** :  
What  
How?

 **applepi** :  
i'm going to livestream it  
i'm not sure  
it might not work

 **shin_gen_ (Akaashi)** :  
When?

 **applepi** :  
now  
i'm getting my mic 

He's doing this because – he knows he's right. He can tell, there's something more to investigate here, and it's worth sharing. 

Kenma pulls on his headset, and turns on his cam, and clicks the green button – _Go Live_


	4. Chapter Four

Kenma's livestream gets two viewers instantly, and he flinches.

"Hey," he says. Feeling awkward, he can only bring himself to look into his webcam a few seconds at a time. He clears his throat. "I'm streaming a final Interstellar Infinite mission in twenty minutes." 

He sets his channel to standby as he finishes getting everything ready. By the time he's done, there's almost 200 viewers waiting, the chat impatient and confused. 

**larastomp** :  speed run for intinf????  
**MonsterManic44** :  **@APPLEPI STREAM BOTW!!SPEED RUN OOT!!!**   
**Kocherti** :  aaahhhh i hope @applepi plays as oikawa <3 <3  
**setSamurai** :  maybe its a speedrun of hivewarp2

Kenma goes live again, sharing his screen, which is Kuro, just outside his Dart.

"This isn't a speed run," Kenma says, into his mic. Almost instantly, the viewer count drops by 20. "I've been playing Interstellar Infinite and want to test out a possible option in the game I found. I think."

Kenma clears his throat again. On screen, Kuro steps onboard his Dart, and Kenma circles his mouse around the tracker, showing Yaku's grayed out information.

"If you haven't played a character with a Hopeless Romantic trait before, this is the tracker. Once they're – smitten, this happens," Kenma says. "In my game Kuro's smitten by Yaku. When it's working, it feeds into Kuro's stats. After Yaku was absorbed by Hive, it went gray except this needle. Like a compass."

Kenma clicks the needle on the tracker.

**Meet Cmdr Yaku in Person?**

Yes.

"Lev is the only character with an official Hive rescue mission," he says, as the ominous, broken loading text scrolls across the screen, followed by the cut scene. "But that – makes me think Kuro can do it, too."

The chat's interest picks up substantially, but Kenma does his best to ignore the rapid stream of comments, instead watching what he'd quit to early to see before – the course is set, but as expected, the tracker does not say how far Kuro has to go.

Kuro simply takes off, following the arrow pointing forever toward Yaku, unconcerned, apparently, with how long it may take him to get there.

It is a very gratifying thing to see Kuro's mood finally shift – demoralized and uncomfortable for so long, it finally switches to something energized, determined. _Inspired_.

Suddenly remembering he's on camera, Kenma shifts in his seat, glancing toward the chat again, briefly.

**Zze** :  who kuro?  
**scRAPTOR** :  weird that applepi randomly decides to stream intinf right before the new cash grab for the franchise comes out.. /s   
**MonsterManic44** :  **@APPLEPI STREAM BOTW!!SPEED RUN OOT!!!**   
**NinJava** :  @Zze kuro is kuroo, applepi just changed his name by one letter cause he's got the creativity of a fart.  
**scRAPTOR** :  makes sense that @applepi would play intinf because its GAY and so is @applepi

Kenma frowns, but doesn't respond. He supposes there wouldn't be much overlap between his regular audience and players if this particular game.

"In Lev's mission, Yaku initiates the rescue by giving Lev his location," Kenma explains. "But Kuro doesn't need a location code, and he doesn't even need to warp, theoretically. He can just follow his – " he clears his throat, stopping himself at the last second from saying _heart _. "Tracker."__

**TiccyTank** :  uuuuh this is basically the last mission, why does applepi's Kuroo have exact;y ZERO rake fleet ships?  
**MonsterManic44** :  **@APPLEPI STREAM BOTW!!SPEED RUN OOT!!!**   
**gum bea** :  hi @applepi!! i'm new to your channel. I love INTINF!!! Can we do this with SugaYaku? :3c

"I don't think Sugawara can do this," Kenma says. "A character would need to be a Hopeless Romantic and have access to a ship. Sugawara isn't a pilot or in the command chain," as soon as Kenma says it, the chat fills with mentions of the _Dark Sugawara_ play through, where he is apparently in charge of his own fleet. Kenma's heard about it, but isn't familiar enough with the character to say, doesn't want to comment, and ignores it.

"After warping to the prison in Lev's mission, Lev's Gut Instinct helps him navigate and find Yaku. If I can get Kuro to the prison, I'm counting on the Hopeless Romantic trait to keep guiding him," Kenma says. "If he can even get that far. You can try it with other characters but." He shrugs. 

**NinJava** : so now we're just flying through space this could take literally 400 hours. wghat a great stream, @applepi.  
**MonsterManic44** : **@APPLEPI STREAM BOTW!!SPEED RUN OOT!!!**  
**Per_poison** : i cant believe I waited SIX MONTHS for applepi to stream again only to get INTINF when he finally gets around to it, jfc. Unsubscribing.

Kenma frowns. 

He'd prefer to be the kind of person who wasn't bothered by these kinds of comments. But he is. Unfortunately. 

The only solution he's ever come up with is to just avoid situations where they could happen. He considers ending the stream, starting it up again after he's tested it out himself… 

His phone goes off.

 **SHOgunSHOyo (Hinata)** :  
you're livestreaming again!!! (◠‿◠)  
The connection isn't super great but i'm watching it here!!!  
it's nice to see your face again!! (◠‿◠) it's kinda like you're visiting my room (･з･)  
I don't know intinf but this is cool!!! 

Kenma looks up toward his webcam, smiling briefly. 

**SHOgunSHOyo (Hinata)** :  
(◠‿◠)  
(◠‿◠)  
sry if this is weird but when you smile I smile too haha  
(･з･)

Kenma does not know how to react to this, shifting in his seat, covering his mouth to hide how his smile grows without his permission. He clears his throat yet again, and forces a neutral expression onto his face.

He sets his phone to the side, now entirely fine with the idea of the viewers insults, and the view count itself dropping down to exactly one. 

"This could take a while," Kenma says. "And it might not work at all. But if Kuro keeps – following.. "

Kenma trails off. He zooms the map out, then back in. 

"… I think… " Kenma says, and he can hear how distracted he sounds. "I think some spoilers might be coming up. For the next installment. If you're worried about that, you should probably leave." 

The chat fills with questions, but Kenma ignores them, editing the title of his livestream to include the warning, as well. 

Because as the Dart moves, it's becoming clearer where, exactly, Kuro's tracker is pointing: Earth itself. 

The heart of the inner orbit. 

The first assumption someone who is unfamiliar with game design might make is that Yaku's being held prisoner on Earth, but there are other possibilities to consider. Maybe Yaku's being held beyond that, on the other side of the galaxy. There's also a possibility that this is just a result of game design, trying to make economic use of the space available, so they placed his character, and rescue mission, in a large swath of unused area of the map, which just happened to be located on earth. 

But Kenma's gut is saying the very obvious answer is the right one: Yaku is exactly where the arrow is pointing. He is being held prisoner on Earth.

There are bigger implications here, but Kenma keeps them to himself as Kuro's ship gets closer. 

The Dart breaks orbit, Yaku's stats start to flicker back to life, in dramatic, glitchy jerks, information distorted.

That's not how the tracker would actually work in the game. The tracker isn't actually fed information like this, in slowly strengthening bursts – that's a design element. Someone programmed the tracker to come back to life like this, to be deliberately atmospheric, for the player. 

This is an actual rescue mission. Kuro is designed to fly here, and Yaku is waiting, specifically, for him. 

_Scared_ is Yaku's current mood when it finally flickers into place. 

Kuro's mood flips to _Determined_ in return. He's focused, his courage and ambition rising, responding rapidly now that he's connected properly to Yaku again.

**Cpt Kuro:**  
_I'm not giving up.. .. .. you better not either, Morisuke._

The chat flips out.

Collectively realizing what Kenma did a beat earlier: that was clearly custom dialogue, it would _only_ fit this scene. This rescue was intended, programmed in.

**kimu yuki** :  IS there a new cut scene??  
**kimu yuki** :  @applepi are you preloading???? Is there a cut scene????

"No preload," Kenma says. "You have to play these stages of the game live. I'll go back and rip the elements at the end for anything I miss."

 **Kocherti** : Wait……… kuroo's heading to earth??  
**mo Ryumo** : spoilers!?!?!!!!! D: come on guys!!!!  
**MonsterManic44** : **@APPLEPI STREAM BOTW!!SPEED RUN OOT!!!**  
**larastomp** : APPLEPI ALREADY WARNED FOR SPOILERS !!  
**setSamurai** : im so confused   
**RAGOE** : **kuroo can do a hive rescue?**  
**gradingUT** : Hive is on earth…??  
**Ayano** : waht the hell   


"I wouldn't draw too many conclusions from anything that happens here," Kenma says, as Kuro's ship starts breaking Earth's orbit. "Even if they end up tying this into the new installment, the location could just be a stand in – "

Kenma stops, the tracker loading the name of Yaku's location:

**INNER ORBIT – EARTH – HIVE PRISON 3A**

The chat freezes for a moment, lagging from the sudden influx of messages, and at once catches up, comments flying up the screen at a dizzying pace. The number of viewers has gone up to 3,200.

Kenma hides the chat.

Earth is civilian territory in the game, there's really no reason for any character to spend much time there, and it's clear that the designers hadn't spent much time on the appearance once they scaled back the Kuro rescue mission. 

The landmasses are clunky and simplistic, and the base Kuro is meant to land looks comical, its design pristine and detailed compared to its MSPaint-esque surroundings, and as Kuro's Dart lowers to the landing pad, Kenma begins to worry that this might be where their adventure ends. 

"When you play as Lev, he just warps inside the prison," Kenma says. "I don't know if this prison is locked, and it doesn't look like they finished this environment. It might not be possible to get insi – oh."

Kuro's Dart landed on the top of the prison, and then just kept going. 

Clearly at some point a roof was supposed to open up to allow Kuro's ship to land, but they never got around to that, and instead the two elements just blend together awkwardly, the Dart vanishes inside the building, and then keeps going even deeper than that, disappearing into the earth. 

The screen goes black, and then loads again, Kuro fully rendered, standing in the Hive prison. 

Quickly, not sure what sort of events this might trigger, Kenma saves. _Determined_ is Kuro's mood, still, and as soon as the save is confirmed, he attempts to run down the hall. Kenma quickly opens up the tracker to get a full view before he can get too far. 

On the tracker, Yaku's avatar is still grayed out ominously, but there's a map of the prison.

And as he hoped, he does see Yaku – a little dot, labeled by his name, inside a small prison cell. According to the map, though, there should be a door directly ahead of Kuro, but all Kenma can see is a solid wall, and a set of stairs, going up. Moving Kuro in close, investigate the space, the barely-there lines of the hidden door become visible. 

_Not yet_ , Kenma thinks, practically dragging Kuro away from the door, directing him to the stairwell, instead.

"He wants to get to Yaku, but I want to explore as much as I can, first," Kenma says. "As soon as Kuro rescues Yaku, this mission probably ends."

Reluctantly complying, Kuro walks up the stairs, discovering another hall, this one with several prison cells, the rows and rows of steel bars feeling oddly out of tone with the rest of the building's sleek, high-tech, alien atmosphere. 

Kuro walks down the hall, and inside each cell are the still, unmoving models of the characters taken by Hive: Semi, Kyotani, Tanaka, Moniwa, and Yukie. 

There's a handful of empty cells, but as Kuro approaches, a dialogue box appears.

**Cmdr Yaku**  
_.. .. .. Tetsurou?_

The screen blacks out.

**YEET_tea** :  CUT SCENE CUT SCENE  
**larastomp** :  omg cut scene  
**mo Ryumo** :  cUT SCENE  
**ggbenni** :  IS THIS REAL LIFE

The scene loads with a view from the inside of the cell, looking out as Kuro opens the door. 

"Morisuke??" Kuro asks.

"Tetsurou!" Yaku jumps to his feet, running forward, grabbing Kuro in an embrace that Kuro does not return. "I knew you'd come! Hurry, you need to take me to the Outer Orbit council as soon as possible – "

Kuro takes a step back, looking Yaku up and down. Kenma is very familiar with this expression at this point: Kuro is unsettled. Something's off. Something's wrong. Yaku's not supposed to be in that cell, on this floor, Kuro's heart knows that. 

"Something feels weird about this… " Kuro says. 

The worry in Yaku's expression – melts. A smile takes its place, long and wicked. 

"What a shame," he says, and pulls out a gun. "I thought we could do this the easy way… " 

The cut scene ends. 

Kenma's unsure of what sort of conflict was initially planned at this point – possibly a hand to hand fight. Instead, the playable scene loads again, with Kuro standing alone in the prison, the other character models gone. 

He opens the chat, curious to see their reaction. Again, it's moving too rapidly for his eyes to rest on any message in particular –

 **Sailor_u-R-Anus** : Yakus evil too????  
**ggbenni** : **no way that was real**  
**burnttrund** : yaku fake = tendo fake THE HIVE REPLACED PRISONERS WITH FAKES  
**YEET_tea** : so is this a whole new ending? To the series?  
**anon3000** : J A I L B R E A K   
**turbogre** : **sweet tendo redemption T__T**   
**MonsterManic44** : **@APPLEPI STREAM BOTW!!SPEED RUN OOT!!!**  
**mo Ryumo** : omg kuro go rescue the real yaku or i'm gonna CRY

AI in IntInf cycle through their options every three minutes for a standard need, and every forty-five seconds for an urgent need. Kuro must have been at the end of one those cycles, because in the split second Kenma dragged his mouse away from gameplay, Kuro took his chance, running for the Yaku he knows is hidden away, a floor below.

Kenma allows it, handing over the reins, letting go of the mouse. 

Kuro runs down the steps, then back to the hidden door to the actual prison.

**Cpt Kuro:**  
_Shit.. .. .. locked!_

A glowing keypad emrges from the wall, and Kenma reaches for his mouse to assist, but Kuro doesn't need the help.

It takes him four tries with different combinations before working through the pattern, cracking the code, and opening the door. 

Kenma watches Kuro's character run, and remembers, inexplicably, the first time he had to give control over to Kuro. He was still an ensign, his AI only just started, in a basic mission at the Federation Academy. Given full control of his actions for the first time, Kuro promptly added three useless objects in the room to his inventory, then went to stand in the corner until the mission timed out. 

The memory brings something sharp to Kenma's chest, and it takes him a moment to realize it's a feeling of pride, at how much he's learned, how sophisticated he's become. 

Kuro runs down the hall, and after he turns right down a hallway, the screen fades to black.

 **Kocherti** : another CUT SCNE???  
**mo Ryumo** : 80!!!!!!   
**larastomp** : CUT SCENE TWO  
**setSamurai** : wow .  
**RAGOE** : **??????**  
**Ayano** : another cut scene?  


The lighting and atmosphere has changed wildly – it's dark, hall lit by an eerie yellow glow from a source just off screen. 

"Shit…" Kuro sounds out of breath, running to a stop. "What is all this… " 

Kuro walks toward the light, and sees a line of metal tables, and on top of them, a line of unconscious prisoners, the same group in the cells upstairs, with a fairly notable addition. As predicted by the livechat: Tendo. 

Tendo is not the only new body, though. Laying out beside him are three prisoners that truly shock Kenma to see: Cadet Goshiki, Miya Atsumu, Miya Osamu.

"Oh," Kenma says.

 **FrogBob** : **holy FUCK**  
**larastomp** : wwwwhhhhaAAAAT  
**setSamurai** : wut   
**gradingUT** : UH EXCUSE ME W T F  
**Ayano** : :O  
**MonsterManic44** : **@APPLEPI STREAM BOTW!!SPEED RUN OOT!!!**  
**RAGOE** : **ok so... characters that pissed off the inner orbit are being held prisoner by the hive, does that mean inner orbit has been working with the hive? inner orbit is bad too????**  
**Per_poison** : good work sherlock  
**Unaemar** : welcome to the end of the thought process, genius.

"Moriskue," Kuro says, on screen, running past the tables, then turning right down a hall. 

He stumbles to a stop – ahead of him, seated in a chair that looks like some sort of torture device, Yaku is strapped upright, head slumped forward, unconscious. 

A heavy, yellow fog floats around Yaku's head, then up, to the floor above. Kenma's never seen anything like this in the game, outside of the color. It's a distinctive yellow shade that's associated with Hive, but what they're doing to Yaku, he can only guess. Something that helped created the evil duplicate upstairs, certainly. 

Kuro runs forward, undoing the straps. 

"Shit – I'll get you out of this," Kuro says. 

Yaku groans in response, lifting his head, waking up. 

He blinks at Kuro, eyes a solid, eerie yellow. 

"No – no, you don't," Kuro says, cupping Yaku's cheeks. "Come back to me, Morisuke." 

Yaku shakes his head, eyes clearing back to their usual reddish brown. 

"Tetsurou… ?" 

"Just give me a second. These straps are tricky. Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"What are you doing here?" Yaku asks. "Were you captured?"

" _'Was I captured.'_ Have a little faith. I'm here to rescue you," Kuro says. His voice is tense when he repeats, "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," Yaku says. Now freed, he grips Kuro's hand, and stands. "You're here."

They stare into each other's eyes. 

They kiss. 

It's passionate, enough that Kenma can't bring himself to watch, embarrassed, gaze dropping down to his keyboard until the scene dims, and it goes back to the standard play-through. 

Again, Kuro loads in an empty prison. Yaku has vanished, but his stats are no longer grayed out, his avatar back in the previously empty slot, his mood _Relieved_.

The romance bar is no longer a solid green, the color replaced with red. Kenma only has a moment to process this before two pop ups appear, overlapping each other, with two excited little chimes.

**Cpt Kuro has earned Cmdr Yaku's ADMIRATION**  
_Cmdr Yaku will now entrust Cpt Kuro with both his most important and most private concerns that matter most._

Then, once he minimizes this –

**True Romance**  
Cpt Kuro and Cmdr Yaku have completed a True Romance. Cmdr Yaku is now a playable character and both inventories will be shared, and accessible.

Kenma blinks, stunned – he wasn't expecting it, and for a moment it feels too good to be true, absurdly, like it was too easy, even though it's easily his hardest won victory in this game. In any game Kenma's played in a while. He slumps, suddenly exhausted.

Leaving the prison is significantly easier than the trip there: opening the door activates another short scene, outside the prison. Kuro's Dart ship floats up, into the sky, launching back into space. 

Realizing it's been a while since he's said anything, and remembering that he's been filmed this entire time, Kenma clears his throat, again. 

"So I've... been reading about the game, about something big being cut," he says, slowly. "From Kuro and Yaku's romance. I think – it wasn't the romance they didn't want, but once they decided to cut all this, and move it to the next installment, they were stuck. Because if Kuro's smitten, and Yaku's captured, he'll try to find his way to Yaku. They – literally can't stop Kuro from rescuing Yaku. It was only a matter of time before I put Kuro in a Dart or a Cruiser. And that's all Kuro needs, he didn't have any codes or warp jump, and he still got here. So all they could to was completely retool the Hopeless Romantic trait, or limit the number of chances Kuro had to be smitten by Yaku. And the second option was the easier one. I think." 

**YEET_tea** :  that was fucking WILD  
**anon3000** :  haha @applepi's a total fanboy   
**turbogre** :  **i'm more excited than ever for the new installment!!!!!!!!**   
**Per_poison** :  someone was recording this right?  
**ggbenni** :  **wait does this mean that the Yaku that Lev rescues is a fake???**   
**larastomp** :  hehe @applepi's expression watching the cut scene was like rly rly cute  
**Zze** :  applepi very cute

Embarrassed, Kenma doesn't even wait for Kuro to return back to the Inner Orbit. Thanking his viewers, he ends the stream there. 

~

 **shin_gen_ (Akaashi)** :  
And Yaku's actually back in the game?

 **applepi** :  
yes  
he's on the red border  
and he can visit the outposts like normal  
I'm posting the steps I took i'll send you the link when i finish

 **shin_gen_ (Akaashi)** :  
Thank you.

 **applepi** :  
it's not as detailed as your guides but i've got to go meet a friend  
he wants to see tokyo tower

 **shin_gen_ (Akaashi)** :  
Really?  
I'm surprised you're not interested in exploring the benefits of this new romance.

Kenma tries not to blush because that is, really, exactly what he is doing. 

**applepi** :  
https://intinfcommunity.com/discussions/forum/0/applepis_guide_to_kuroyaku_roma/  
if you want more detail i can answer questions when i get back.

 **shin_gen_ (Akaashi)** :  
Thanks.  
Have fun.

~

**applepi's Guide to KuroYaku romance**

1\. Surrender at the Red Border Battle (lose Kuroo's fleet)  
2\. Cook Yaku a meal with love  
3\. Accept Yaku's invitation to another date, bring a romantic gift  
4\. Flirt with Yaku until Kuroo is smitten  
5\. Lose Hive Warp Battle 2.  
6\. Board a Dart/Cruiser, have Kuroo follow his heart to Yaku  
7\. Rescue Yaku, gain Yaku's Admiration  
8\. True Romance (Get kuro's fleet back)  



End file.
